Inside control for refrigerator door latches



May 29, 1956 w. E. EMMERT INSIDE CONTROL FOR REFRIGERATOR DOOR LATCHES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 5, 1952 INVENTOR. 81%! M ATTOE/VEY.

MATE? E EMMEEY;

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 W. E. EMMERT Q o e 4 May 29, 1956 INSIDE CONTROL FOR REFRIGERATOR DOOR LATCHES Filed Oct. 3, 1952 T, m M 5 2 m United States atent 2,747,906 INSIDE CONTROL FOR REFRIGERATOR DOOR LATCHES Walter E. Emmert, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor, by direct and mesne assignments, of one-half to Horace Fong, Oakland, Calif.

Application October 3, 1952, Serial No. 312,978 8 Claims. (Cl. 292-92) This invention relates to improved door latch mechanisms of a type particularly adapted for use on refrigerators of the walk-in type.

The general object of the invention is to provide a latch mechanism adapted for use on the door of a walkin refrigerator, and which is specially designed for easy release from the inner side of the door under all conditions of the mechanism. Particularly contemplated is a latch device which is releasable from the inner side of the door even when it is locked at the outer side, by a padlock or the like, to thus positively prevent the accidental locking of a person Within the refrigerator. Preferably, the latch mechanism is released by exactly the same motion when looked as when unlocked, so that there is no necessity for a user of the refrigerator to be taught any special emergency opening procedure.

More specifically, the present locks may include a pair of interengageable relatively movable holding elements mounted at the outer side of the door and an adjacent jamb respectively, and adapted for control from the inner side of the door by a longitudinally movable control element or push rod extending through the door or jamb. Latch means controllable at the inner side of the door may be provided for retaining the control element against longitudinal movement. These latch means may be releasable by movement of an actuating member relative to the push rod during the initial portion of a door releasing operation at the inside of the door.

Certain features of the invention have to do with a particular form of the invention in which the inside actuating mechanism controls the retracting movement of a latch keeper or striker, which does not move during normal opening and closing of the door by the outside handle. In this form of the invention, 1 provide means for releasably retaining the keeper in an active position, typically within a special positioning recess in a mounting member, and against movement to a retracted osition. These keeper retaining means may comprise the previously discussed push rod or control element and other associated parts, in which case the keeper may be pivotally attached directly to an end of the push rod.

l'n another particular form of the invention, the control element or push rod has a portion which serves as an anchor element to which the outside control handle is attached by a padlock in the locked condition of the device. When the control element of this form of the invention is moved, it serves to actuate the padlock and control handle as a unit, to release the door latch even though locked by the padlock against opening from the outer side of the door.

Still a further form of the invention is one in which the latch for retaining the control element or push rod against longitudinal movement comprises a cam or eccentric member acting against the control element at the inner side of the door.

The above and other features and objects of the present invention will be better understood from the following detailed description of the typical embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a fragmentary horizontal section through a latch mechanism embodying the invention for controlling the door of a walk-in type refrigerator;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. l; v

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section through the push rod, taken on line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a view corresponding to Fig. 3, but showing the inner latch pin in its released position;

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are transverse sections through the push rod taken on lines 55, 6--6 and 7--7 respectively;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary side view of the control latch a variational form of the invention; and

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary horizontal section through a further variational form of the invention.

Referring first to Fig. 1, I have represented at 10 an edge portion of the usual swinging door of a walk-in type refrigerator, and at 11 the door jamb portion of the refrigerator wall. Mounted to the door 10 is a latch unit 12 of conventional construction, and supported by the door jamb adjacent the door opening is a keeper or striker element 13. The latch unit may include a housing 14 rigidly attached to the door and carrying a slidably movable latch element 15 engageable with the keeper to retain the door in closed condition. The latch element is retractible against the force of a spring 16 by a handle 17 pivoted to casing 14 at 18 and extending into a recess 19 in the latch element.

A keeper element 13 may be of an essentially conventional construction, having a roller 20 latch element 15; but instead of being rigidly mounted to the door jamb 11 as is customary, the keeper is mounted in a manner permitting its bodily retraction out of the path of latch element 15, to unlock the door without releasing movement of the latch. For this purpose, keeper 13 may have a portion of essentially rectangular vertical section slideable into a position of confinement within a rectangular recess 21 in a keeper mounting member 22, which is rigidly fastened to the door jamb or wall by screws 50. In its full line active position of Fig. 1, keeper 13 is confined between the side walls of recess 21 in a manner retaining roller 20 in the path of latch element 15, and thus preventing opening movement of the door without release of the latch. The keeper is slidable outwardly from its confined position within recess 21 to a location at which the keeper swings laterally to the broken line retracted position of Fig. l, in which latch element 15 is free to permit opening of the door. The movement of keeper 13 into its recess 21, is limited by engagement of the keeper with a screw 113, whose position may be adjusted by connection into any of a number of openings 114 in the member 22.

The keeper is moved into and out of its position of confinement Within recess 21 by axial or longitudinal movement of a push rod 23, which extends transversely or perpendicularly through the door jamb or wall 11, and is pivotally attached at 24 to the keeper element. Push rod 23 may be of square transverse section and is guided for its longitudinal or axial movement by passage through a bushing sleeve 25. In order to permit pivotal movement of keeper 13 to a retracted position after a relatively small outward movement of the keeper from recess 21, the keeper may have a beveled inner corner 26 at its side nearest the latch. At the opposite side of the keeper, mounting element 22 may have a laterally curving outer portion 27, against which the keeper element moves when it swings to the retracted broken line position of Fig. l.

for engaging At the inner side of door jamb 11 and directly above push rod 23, I provide a vertically movable cylindrical latch element or pin 28, which is movable downwardly into a vertical cylindrical recess 29 in the push rod, to lock the push rod against rightward movement, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2, from the position in which keeper element"13 is retained in locking engagement with latch element 15. Pin 23 is guided for vertical movement into and out of push rod opening 29 by a bracket 30 attached tothe door jamb, and is yieldingly urged downwardly into opening 29 by spring 31.

The latch pin 28 is deflectible upwardly to an inactive position by movement of a wedge member 32 axially relative to push rod 23. This wedge member is received and slideable within a central vertically extending slot 33 in the inner end portion of the push rod. The wedge member has a vertical dimension corresponding to that of the push rod, and is elongated in the direction of the push rod length. The push rod slot 33, within which member 32 is axially slideable, centrally intersects, and is of a transverse dimension smaller than, the vertical opening 29 within which inner latch 28 is received. At its end, wedge member 32 has an inclined upwardly facing wedge surface 35, which is engageable with pin 28 upon rightward movement of member 32, to deflect the pin upwardly to its retracted position of Fig. 4.

Wedge member 32 is guided for its sliding movement longitudinally of and within push rod 23 by a pair of transverse pins 36 connected into the push rod and passing through a horizontally elongated slot 37 in the wedge member. Acoil spring 38 is maintained under compression within a rear portion of slot 37, and bears at its opposite ends against an end 39 of the slot and one of the pins 36, to yieldingly urge the wedge member rearwardly relative to push rod 23 and to the Fig. 3 position.

Wedge member 32 and the push rod are actuated by a square sleeve 46 which is received telescopically about and longitudinally movable relative to the end of thepush rod. Sleeve 40 is rigidly attached in any suitable manher to wedge member 32, as by welding at 41. At its inner or rear end, sleeve 40 may carry a rounded cap 42,"which is pushed by an operator to actuate the keeper mechanism. This cap 42 is spaced from the rear endfof the push rod a sufficient distance to permit rightward movement of sleeve 46 and the Wedge member to the position in which pin 23 is retracted.

In using the apparatus of Figs. 1 to 7, door it) may be opened from its outer side by actuation of handle 17 to' release latch 15 from its engagement with keeper roller 20. The door is opened from its inner side by merely pushing on cap 42 of the push rod structure, to release the keeper and permit opening of the door without retraction of latch 15. As will be understood, as an operator pushes on cap 42 of the push rod structure, the initial inward movement of that cap and sleeve 46 acts to shift wedge element 32 relative to the push rod and wedge pin 28 upwardly out of its locking engagement with the push rod. The push rod is then free for bodily longitudinal movement as the handle cap 42 is pushed further inwardly, which bodily movement of the rod moves keeper element 13 to a position in which it may swing laterally out of locking engagement with latch element 15. After an operator has thus moved keeper 13 from within its confining recess 21, he may push outwardly on door it to deflect the keeper laterally to its retracted position and open the door. A particular advantage of this arrangement is that it permits opening of the door from within the refrigerator even though the latch handle 17 may be retained against actuation, as by the usual padlock or other locking means.

Fig. 8 shows a variational form of the invention, which is essentially the same as that of Figs. 1 to 7, except as to the type of latch used in retaining keeper 13a in its active position within mounting element 22a. In this form of the invention, the inner end of the push rod 23:: is pivotally attached at 43 to an eccentric or cam type latch element 23.1, which is actuable by a swinging handle 44. As will be appreciated, latch element 28a comprises a cam bearing against plate 45 at the inner side of the refrigerator wall Illa, and rotatable relative to the push rod between the Fig. 8 position in which keeper 13a is in its active position, and a released position. A spring 46 may act against push rod 23:: to normally urge it toward the retracted keeper position.

Fig. 9 represents a further variational form of the invention in which the push rod, wedge member, etc., are the same as in Figs. 1 to 7, but serve to actuate the latch handle 17b rather than the keeper 13. In this form of the invention, the push rod 231) carries at its outer end a lug 47 positioned opposite the movable end 48 of handle 17 b. Lug 47 and the end of the handle contain registering openings i9, through which a padlock 51 may be passed to lock handle 17b against latch releasing movement. When an operator pushes the rod 23b outwardly, the outward movement is transmitted to handle 17b, to swing it in a manner retracting latch element 15b and permitting opening of the door. As will be understood, at least one of the openings 49 for receiving the padlock should be larger than the padlock hasp in order that the connection formed by the padlock between elements 23b and 17b will permit the desired arcuatc swinging movement of the handle.

I claim:

1. For use in a door lock comprising a pair of relatively movable interengageable holding elements to be mounted one to an outer side of a door member and the other to an adjacent support member and adapted for release from said outer side of the door; the combination with a first of said holding elements of mechanism for controlling said first holding element from the inner side of the door, said mechanism comprising an elongated longitudinally movable push rod operatively connected to said first holding element and extending through one of said members, a latch element extending into a transverse opening in said push rod at said inner side of the door and support to prevent longitudinal movement of the rod toward said outer side thereof, a handle telescopically carried by and longitudinally movable relative to said push rod at said inner side of the door and support, and wedge means operable by said handle upon predetermined longitudinal movement thereof relative to said push rod and toward said outer side of the door and support to release said latch element, said combination including means movable with said handle and forming a shoulder engageable with said push rod after said predetermined movement of the handle relative thereto to transmit further longitudinal movement of the handle to the push rod.

2. A combination as recited in claim 1, in which said wedge means comprises a member slidably mounted within a guide recess in said push rod intersecting said opening therein, said member having a Wedge face operable to engage and retract said latch element, there being a first spring yieldingly urging said latch element into said push rod opening, and a second spring yieldingly urging said wedge member in a direction away from said latch element.

3. A combination as recited in claim 1, in whichsaid first holding element is a keeper mounted at the outer side of said support member at a location to engage and retain a door carried bolt and movable to a position releasing said bolt, said rod extending through said support member, there being a connection between said rod and keeper whereby the latter is held against releasing movement by the former.

4. A combination as recited in claim 1, in which said first holding element is a releasable bolt, there being a handle at the outer side of the door for actuating. said; bolt, and an element carried by an outer end of saidrod,

and containing an opening registering with an opening in said handle for receiving a locking element to retain the handle against actuation except upon movement of said rod.

5. For use in a door lock comprising a pair of relatively movable interengageable holding elements to be mounted one to an outer side of a door member and the other to an adjacent support member and adapted for release from the outer side of the door and support, a first of said elements being movable between active and released positions; the combination with said first holding element of mechanism extending through one of said members to the inner side thereof and adapted to control said first holding element from said inner side, said mechanism comprising a control member movable between a pair of positions and acting by said movement to release said first holding element, holding means for releasably retaining said control member against movement between said positions, an actuating member movable from the inner side of the door and support with and relative to said control member, means for releasing said holding means upon an initial movement of said actuating member, means then acting to displace said control member between said positions in response to further movement of said actuating member, and means mounting said actuating member for said initial and further movements.

6. For use in a door lock comprising a pair of relatively movable interengageable holding elements to be mounted one to an outer side of a door member and the other to an adjacent support member and adapted for release from the outer side of the door and support, a first of said elements being movable between active and released positions; the combination with said first holding element of mechanism for controlling said first holding element from the inner side of the door, said mechanism comprising an elongated longitudinally movable push rod extending through one of said members toward said inner side thereof and actuable by longitudinal outward movement toward the outer side of the door and support to release said first holding element, a latch part releasably retaining said push rod against said outward movement and movable between active and released positions, an actuating member manually movable from said inner side of the door and support and in said outward direction longitudinally of said push rod, said actuating member being free for limited outward movement relative to said rod, means for releasing said latch part in response to said limited outward movement of said actuating member to thereby allow outward movement of said rod, and means for then actuating said rod outwardly upon further outward movement of said actuating member to release said first holding element.

7. For use in a door lock comprising a pair of relatively movable interengageable holding elements to be mounted one to an outer side of a door member and the other to an adjacent support member and adapted for release from the outer side of the door and support, a first of said elements being movable between active and released positions; the combination with said first holding element of mechanism for controlling said first holding element from the inner side of the door,

said mechanism comprising an elongated longitudinally movable control rod extending through one of said members to said inner side thereof and acting by longitudinal movement to control releasing movement of said first holding element, a latch part releasably retaining said control rod against longitudinal movement in a direction for releasing said first holding element, an actuating member manually movable from the inside of the door and support relative to both said control rod and said latch part and operable by said movement to release the latch part, means mounting said actuating member for said latch releasing movement, and a connection between said actuating member and said control rod for moving the latter in a direction for releasing said first holding element upon continued movement of said actuating member after it has released said latch part.

8. For use in a door lock comprising a pair of relatively movable interengageable holding elements to be mounted one to an outer side of a door member and the other to an adjacent support member and adapted for release from the outer side of the door and support, a first of said elements being movable between active and released positions; the combination with said first holding element of mechanism for controlling said first holding element from the inner side of the door, said mechanism comprising an elongated longitudinally movable control rod extending through one of said members to said inner side thereof and acting by longitudinal movement to control releasing movement of said first holding element, a latch part releasably retaining said control rod against longitudinal movement in a direction for releasing said first holding element, an actuating member manually movable from the inside of the door and support relative to both said control rod and said latch part and operable by said movement to release the latch part, means mounting said actuating mem her for said latch releasing movement, said first holding element being a releasable bolt, there being a handle at the outer side of the door for actuating said bolt, and an element carried by an outer end of said rod and containing an opening registering with an opening in said handle for receiving a locking element to retain the handle against actuation except upon movement of said rod.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,287,973 Gruber Dec. 17, 1918 1,326,956 Myers Jan. 6, 1920 1,884,722 Katz Oct. 25, 1932 2,089,163 Hansen Aug. 3, 1937 2,340,470 Hazeltine Feb. 1, 1944 2,415,587 Groeger Feb. 11, 1947 2,473,205 Jazwieck June 14, 1949 2,636,767 Groeger Apr. 28, 1953 

